THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS

This weeks edition of NGGE's paper:
Two articles are from edutopia, a site every educator (yes, that includes parents) who are interested in the direction of education in the 21st century.  
The first article, "The Role of PBL in Making the Shift to Common Core", shows how Project Based Learning (PBL) can support the Common Core Standards.  It is well known that NGGE supports the learner leading their education, not the standards.  Learners are not shy about challenging a teacher if the subject has no relevance to their learning.  Real-time, hands-on, collaborative problem solving such as PBL is such a powerful learning AND assessing tool.
The second article,  "An Unprecedented Opportunity for Educational Equity", points out what NGGE has been advocating for 2 years.   "The technological advances of online game-based instruction and the breakthroughs in neuroscience learning research bring us an unprecedented opportunity for achieving this equity and quality education nationally and internationally."  We have all the resources necessary to turn learning back over to the students, to support and mentor them as they forge their personal learning pathway.  However, these resources are scattered all over the world.  It takes much time and energy to pull the pieces together so they are organized and available to all learners.  That is the goal of NGGE and the "Universal Library for Learning".
Another article posted by Global Partnership for Education entitled "It Takes a Community to Learn" points out "250 million children – or around 40 % of all primary school age children in the world – either, never enroll in school, fail to make it to the fourth year of their education or, if they do manage this, are not learning to read even basic sentences." Schools are no longer today's learning environment, the world is.  And as such, it takes the world working together to support all learners.

Gaming Education: What stands in the way?

Who or what is standing in the way of changing education for the learners and using their tools to do it? Not the parents of today, and perhaps not the teachers either. It all comes back to the testing. As long as testing continues to lead learning, learning will continue to decline. But it doesn't have to be this way. NGGE.org supports John Holt 's concept of "unschooling".  Read this article from EmergingEdTech.
Next Generation Global Education believes the learner should drive his/her instruction by developing a Personalized Learning Plan that educators and parents can support, coach, mentor each to achieve their individual success.

Saving Students From A Shattered System: The agenda of children, or how to piss off everyon...

Saving Students From A Shattered System: The agenda of children, or how to piss off everyon...: Our current system of education is broken.  This shattered system of education was designed in the late eighteenth century by Thomas Jeffer...

Following a Passion

I am inspired by stories of a young person following his/her passion to become a leader and mentor for others to follow. Particularly, in this day and age when, for me it is the beauty of nature and their quite sounds which whisper, “Help save us” that draw my attention to the importance of education.

So I share the story of a young 9 year old boy, whose beaver friend was killed by trappers, that got leg-hold traps confiscated and destroyed. A young boy after my own heart, he would disrupt deer and duck hunters from shooting. I smile at the times my son, about age 9, and I did the same thing. And, I will confess, there seemed to be many a flat tire around where we lived as well.

This was just the beginning of his fight for the rights of the animals that we so enjoy watching. In fact, he was the co-founder of the Greenpeace Foundation. He was also a member of the Sierra Club and was very concerned and actively protesting the nuclear testing at Amchitka for fear of what it would to to the marine wildlife.

You can follow his leadership with the Greenpeace Foundation and his subsequent founding of Sea Sheppard Conservation Society by reading his biography: CaptainPaul Watson

So, as an educator, why would this be of interest to me? Let me refer back to my first paragraph, I love nature and all it teaches us and yet I take much of it for granted. A friend of mine recently said, “Paul ought to be a hero. He has taken what Jacque Cousteau spoke about and tries to do something about it.”

I asked, “And he isn't?”

He then showed me November 7 report, “Statement regarding the ICR vs. SSCS USA contempt proceedings in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals”

As I listened and read more I was once again hit by the power we have given corporations to rule every aspect of our lives including the right to protect those things so important to our future generations.

NGGE's Weekly Paper.1i

Highlightsfrom this week's NGGE

This week's issue focuses on recent recommendations from the Learning Metrics Task Force, a collaboration between 30 organizations with the goal of “of improving learning experiences for children and youth around the world.”

With the help of over 1700 individuals from 118 countries, Learning Metrics Task Force has made a number of recommendations “to use both existing assessments of learning and innovative, new measures to improve the opportunities and outcomes of all children.” You can download the full report here.

The recent 2013 WISE Summit (World Innovation Summit for Education) in Qatar. Educational, corporate, political and social leaders from over 100 countries spend 3 days in dialogue around the theme “Reinventing Education for Life”.

“We will need to embrace an approach that nurtures innovation if we truly want change the lives of the 250 million children who cannot read or write even after 4 years of school.”

Read the report by Alice Albright, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education.

November 18-23: Global Education Conference

The fourth annual Global Education Conference will be held during International Education Week (November 18-23).    There will be many keynote speakers including executive board member Julie Lindsay, Director of Learning Confluence, Director and co-founder of Flat Classroom® and co-author of Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time.
Presentations will be focused in the following six strands; "Teachers", "Students", "Curricular", "Leadership", "iEARN", "Education for All-Global Campaign for Education - US"
We will post the schedule as soon as it is released.  The entire conference is online and can be attended from the comfort of your own home.
Learn and share together at we work towards making global education a reality.

I received a message from one of my Linkedin friends. It read:

"We operate a specialist education company that provides an online learning solution which helps children that learn best using Visual Learning. It brings particular value to those children with Dyslexia, Reading Difficulties, and a variety of Special Needs and Disabilities. We are entirely self-funded, and because we are having increasing success in the US and UK providing assistance to these children that need help with their education, we have been invited to apply for one of 12 Grants from our Bank in the US. However we need 250 votes for our Grant Application to progress to the next stage. If you would be kind enough to vote to support us, it would be really appreciated. All you need to do to support us is to click on the following link, type "Zane Education" in the search box and vote for us. I would be humbled by your kind support and hopefully we will be able to assist a child you know one day. Thanks so much and Kind Regards," It took less then minute. I voted – will you?

Next Generation Global Education newsletter 11/03/13
Sunday and the start of a new week.  Check out our paper. Let's get a discussion going.
Couldn't attend the Reinventing Education for Life Summit, visit it here.  
Do you agree or disagree with Mark Surman statement, " that the ability to understand and shape the digital world is just as important as learning to read, write and do math."
Chime in on the chat box.

I'd like to introduce you to two young women both seniors at Salem High School in Massachusetts.  One, my niece Remi and the other, her friend Maddy.  They were looking for a community project that might mentor and help children in a poor country.
I am thrilled they have chose the Cheery Children's Educational Center in Nairobi, Kenya.  These children have been working with NGGE through Tracy Hanson over the past two years and have been sharing their learning with other children around the world.  They have done it all through one "ify" laptop computer, an on/off internet, very few materials (not even scotch tape), but  a thirst for knowledge, a curiosity about the world around them, a passion to learn and to share it with others.

Friday brings a new month as well as the release of our new website. We  are excited to welcome Julie Lindsay to our executive team. Julie is the Director and co-founder of the Flat Classroom Project and co-author of 'FlatteningClassrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step ata Time'. She will be working Thomas Stanley and together they will be directing and evaluating PBL and Flat Classroom projects for assessing mastery.

Glogster is also collaborating with us. Members will have the opportunity to learn from the best how to create fun, engaging lessons that can publish to the Universal Library for Learning. 

Here is our weekly newsletter .  Subscribe to the newsletter and have it delivered right to your email.  That way you will be sure never to miss an issue.
Near to our heart in this issue is the report regarding education in central African Republic.  We are so lucky to have the opportunity to work with ghetto children in Kenya.  They have a thirst for learning and a love to share it with others.  They have the desire to leave the ghetto and understand the importance of education to fulfill that goal.
It is time we give all children this opportunity.  It is their right and if they are going to lead us successfully through the 21st century, it is our responsibility to insure they receive the best.

GAB held their first meeting!  This is a Global Advisory Board started by NGGE to discuss and address educational issues that effect us all.  These are dedicated individuals from around the world who are vested in insuring all learners become global citizens through  equal opportunity to quality education.
The meeting was not without glitches, several members were lost in the connection.  But with a little time and practice, we will succeed.
We'll start to hold meetings in the mornings and evenings of the first and third Thursdays of the month to accommodate for time differences.  Topics will be posted in the community calendar.
We're looking forward to exploring how to unite best practices and Open Education Resources to create interactive and engaging resources for the Universal Library for Learning.  There are changes in the air and we are proud to be a part of them.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The weekly NGGE paper is out!
http://paper.li/k12nextgen/1367075496

Coming soon to the internet near you! the NEW NGGE website! Follow us and see whats happening, what we've done, and what is coming down the road shortly!

     NGGE is thrilled to be an Official Supporter of Friend Our World 2013. Friend Our World is an online learning hub for children to unite in friendship games of geography, languages and global citizenship. Friend Our World runs throughout September with a special focus around International Day of Peace on 21 September.

- Be part of the largest ever peace event for schools
- Great teaching resources and prizes
- Special global forum on anti-bullying strategies for schools
- Register and get started in less than one minute
- Eight lucky children and one teacher will be selected to visit the United Nations Headquarters in New York
- Open to all school children and completely FREE of charge

http://www.friendourworld.org